The Window
by tubbersdoge
Summary: Dog meet dog.


It's a rainy day, rare in Toontown and treasured by most residents, particularly one.

She sits by the window, tracing the raindrops, watching them fall, one by one. It's starting to pick up now; she can hardly tell the difference from one to the next. Her hand drops from the window and unceremoniously falls back into her lap. She lets out a chuckle and shakes her head.

* * *

Ten minutes later finds her in the kitchen cooking herself dinner. She reaches for the top shelf and doesn't quite make it, sending her stumbling back into the counter.

"Shit," she gasps, holding her hip delicately. Her brown eyes flash black as her head shoots to the window. A dark laugh bubbles from her throat as she shakes her head. She takes her incomplete meal to the windowsill where she plops down on a cushion, with the same wicked grin glued to her eyes.

* * *

Seven minutes later finds her back up in the kitchen, washing dishes as she watches the raindrops on her window. She loads up her dishwasher and seats herself back on a cushion, staring at the window. She sighs and shakes her head.

* * *

Two minutes later finds her staring at her window, watching the raindrops fall down ten by ten.

"God fucking DAMNIT!" she screams, throwing a pillow across the room. "SHIT! FUCKING-" she begins, interrupted by a phone ringing.

She hesitantly gets up from her spot at the windowsill and slowly inches to the phone. At the last ring, she lurges toward the strange, city-operated device and promptly falls to the floor, speaker in hand.

"Hello?" she mutters, standing up quickly and brushing herself off.

Pause. She can hear breathing through the phone.

"T...Tubbers? Is that you?" a voice inquires, seemingly awe-stricken.

Her breathing stops. She's almost certain she can hear her heart come to a screeching halt.

She nearly drops the phone, quickly recollecting herself and breathes heavily.

"W...who's calling? Who is this?" she rushes out, her voice rising with each word.

The voice lets out a short laugh, almost too short. "Oh, no need to be afraid, dear," it says, sound as if it's recovered slightly.

Tubbers shakes her head violently, muttering to herself. "What could you...what could you POSSIBLY want from me after all the SHIT you put your own goddamned people through, myself included? What the fuck do you want?!" she screeches into the old phone, the poor thing barely hanging onto its only string.

"Please, Tubs, calm down," the voice beckons. "I was only calling to let ask if you could -"

She scoffs into the phone and retorts, "That what? That Toontown is back to normal again? That my son actually wants to see me? Or...better yet," she laughs cynically, "that you still love me?"

"Tubbers, please, listen to me -" pleads the other line.

"Do you know," she murmurs. "that my son, my only son, won't so much as look me in the eye when he visits me - mind you that's, hmm, once a year on my birthday after hours of convincing?"

Pause.

"I'd like to see you in my office. Perhaps this would be more efficient in person. I'll let the guards down for as long as needed."

Tubbers lets out a shaky sigh and sits on a chair at her kitchen table, away from the window.

"Alright, Flippy. When?"

* * *

Tubbers grasps the brass handle of a weathered Toon Hall and pulls the door open delicately. The foyer is entirely desolate. No paintings, no gag displays, no Silly Meter. Her heart plunges to her stomach as she sees the hall leading to *his* office. She can smell his scent from the doorway.

Her worn boots click on the marble flooring as she makes her way to *his* office where *he*, no doubt, is sitting in *his* expensive velour chair.

She finally comes to a stop in front of his desk, where, sure enough, he's sitting in his expensive velour chair, turned around and typing away furiously on his old typewriter. His chair turns quickly as he registers another presence in the room.

Flippy's eyes wander up from Tubber's midsection - briefly remembering when his son was growing, right there, inside of her - to meet her weary eyes.

"You wanted to see me?" she says, tiredly.

He stares at her for another moment, almost not realizing she's spoken. He suddenly gasps.

"Oh, right! Yes, where are my manners? How are -" he corrects himself. "Uh...well..."

"Just peachy," she retorts, rolling her eyes. "What do you want, Flippy?"

He sighs and rubs his eyes. "It's over, Tubbers." He smiles briefly. "We can have our town back."

"Okay...great..." she says slowly, not understanding why this is important enough to rip her from her home.

"You're not following, are you?"

"'Fraid not."

He grins, a big one this time, reaching his sleepy eyes.

"We can finally all be a family again. You, me, and Flip -"

She barks in laughter. "And what makes you think I would want that? I'm perfectly happy the way I am."

He frowns for a moment, before glancing to the side and exhaling.

"Well, the rings around your eyes and frown lines but be clear indications of that, if I'm not mistaken."

She blushes. He smirks, his eyes lighting up at her childish state.

He then appears to be getting his thoughts together as he shakes his head, putting both palms on his desk. "Think about it, will you? I've got more than enoguh room -"

She tilts her head and closes her eyes, exhaling. "The amount of space you have is not the problem; it never was. Do you have room for us in your heart? I just...don't know if I can trust you after you left without really saying anything, you know?"

He doesn't say anything for a few moments. She's *this* close to turning on her heel and forgetting she ever came to begin with but then he *has* to say *those* fucking words, the ones that have been screwing with her heart since he left those 10 years ago.

"You've had it from the start," he breathes as she turns away from him.

She freezes, heart racing, blood pulsing in her ear.

"Wh..." she starts, but he's already standing behind her, hands on her sholders, slowly turning her to face him. She wants to reject him and tell him what he did wrong but some part of her knows that he already knows.

"Please," he whispers, eyes glassy, as if he might break any moment, and she swears she can feel her resolve shattering.

"Wh…" she starts, but he's already standing behind her, bands on her shoulders, slowly turning her to face him. She wants to reject him and tell him what he said wrong but some part of her knows that he knows.

_"Momma, momma, look!" Flip cries, flailing his arms about madly as he hands upside down on the monkey bars._

_ Tubbers laughs as her son waves his arms about frantically. Flip drops from the monkey bars as he goes off to play with his best friend – Obsidian was never much a playground cat._

_ A warm arm is placed on Tubbers's waist as soft lips press to her temple._

_ "Fantastic, isn't it?"_

_ "What is?" she giggles, her husband's lips finding their way around her face._

_ "All of this. You, Flip, Sid…" he finds his way to her lips as her eyes flutter closed. "Us," he murmurs against her lips._

She sighs as a tear rolls down her cheek, wanting so badly to feel that bond again.

"I…just…don't know, Flippy…"

His hands drop. He walks over to the window, hands behind his back. He chuckles softly, closing his eyes.

After a moment he looks at her and says, "Remember our first date?"

She stares at him wide-eyed, lips slightly parted.

_"Oh, no, you don't," he says, tickling her sides, sending her into fits of laughter, rolling off of her couch onto the ground on top of him. She peeks out from under her lashes, having calmed down some and to this day she recalls that very moment being the moment she fell in love._

Another tear rolls down her cheek as she nods. "Y-yes, but –"

He walks over to her and takes her face in his hands, wiping the tears away, whispering soothing words in her ear as he pulls her into him, letting her head rest on his chest, sobs shaking through her body. "I'm so sorry, Tubs, I'm so sorry," he murmurs, kissing the tip of her head.

Tubbers looks up, keeping her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes flicker from his eyes to his mouth, her own tongue darting out to moisten her dry lips. "I think I forgave you long ago," she breathes, closing the gap between their mouths.

His arms tighten around her waist, lifting to sit on his desk, mouths breathing hot air as they part.

She blushes and smiles shyly, the first real one to cross her face in 10 years.

* * *

Flip leans up against the door, pressing his ear closer as he hears his parents. Finally hearing a pause, he slowly opens the barrier to see his father's back facing him, peaceful smile on his face as he rests his forehead against Tubbers's. Flip gasps as he walks in slowly, not sure if he was fantasizing again or if his parents had finally reconciled.

Flippy's head whips around at the sound and turns to his only son, grinning. He scratches the back of his head nervously.

"So, uh…son…how much of that did you see?"

Flip's eyes fill with tears as he runs to his father and mother, pulling them both into a tight hug. "More than enough, dad."

* * *

The trio walks around Toontown Central, stopping at various shops and markets.

Flip sighs nervously for the umpteenth time as he tries to find the words to tell his parents what's on his mind. As if on cue, Tubbers speaks.

"Flip, I can tell when something's on your mind. You've been fidgeting and sighing since we woke you up at your apartment this morning. What is it?"

He stops in the middle of the road, taking a deep breath. He exhales slowly and yells, "SID AND I ARE ENGAGED!"

"Calm down, son –" Flippy starts nervously, looking around.

"I'M ALSO GAY!" he shrieks.

Tubbers lets out a short laugh as her son stands in the middle of the road, staring at her.

"What's so funny, mom?" Flip half-yells.

Flippy chuckles. "Well, we were going to wait to tell you this, but…your mother and I are also getting married…again."

Tubbers looks over through the window of the shop she's in, shocked. She comes out and stares at her boyfriend. "We are?"

Flip softens and grins, pulling his phone out to take a video.

Flippy gets down on one knee in front of her, fishing in his pocket for the ring box he's been carrying around for weeks. Voice shaky, he begins.

"Tubbers, I know I've been a dishonest, untrustworthy man," Tubbers rolls her watery eyes, "but my love for you has never faded. You helped me raise a wonderful young man and made me a better one. I can't imagine life without your incredible smiling face. Would you do the honor of making me the happiest man in the world and marry me again?"

Tubbers nods vigorously, allowing Flippy to slip her old engagement ring on her finger, still as dazzled by it as she was the first time. Flippy stands and pulls his fiancée into his arms, kissing her lips and spinning her in a circle. She walks back into the store she was previously in, motioning for Flippy to stand where he is. "I'll be just a second," she mouths to him.

She stands in the store by the entrance and for the first time in 10 years, Tubbers looks through the window and smiles at her son.


End file.
